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'Ballot Bowl '08'

Aired February 18, 2008 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to "Ballot Bowl '08."
I'm Dana Bash in Houston, Texas.

And over the next hour, you're going to hear from the presidential candidates on the campaign trail, both live and sometimes on tape, but always unfiltered as they vie for their party's nomination and for their chance to get to the White House.

Now, we have a very, very busy hour ahead of us. Of course, ahead of tomorrow's primary day. And as far as where I am in Texas, the primary a week from tomorrow. But regardless, we have a lot of coverage for you today.

My co-anchor is joining me from Chicago. That's Candy Crowley. And we also have Suzanne Malveaux, who, lucky Suzanne is in Waikiki, Hawaii, ahead of Hawaii's caucuses tomorrow.

But I first go over to Candy Crowley in Chicago.

Hi, Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Dana.

We do have a busy schedule for this hour. And we want to look at our game plan for the 60 minutes ahead.

Senator John McCain, the Republican, is in Houston, Texas. He just picked up a very big endorsement from former President George Herbert Walker Bush.

Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton is holding a town hall meeting at this hour in De Pere, Wisconsin. And her rival, Barack Obama, is in Niles, Ohio, holding a campaign event there.

We want to go now to Hillary Clinton, again in De Pere, Wisconsin.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are losing a lot of good soldiers because of this "don't ask, don't tell" rule, and I'd like to see that changed too. So...

(APPLAUSE)

Yes, sir. Back there.

Yes, sir? There you go. Very good. That was quite well done!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of (INAUDIBLE) some months that I have spent $4,000. Maybe that's not a lot of money to some people, but to me that's a hell of a lot of money. I apologize for my language, Senator.

(LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: No, it's a lot of money. It's a whole lot of money.

Well, what the gentleman is talking about is another reason why I voted against the prescription drug benefit. I had never heard of an insurance plan where, after you paid, you know, money for premiums every month, when you hit a certain level of expenditures, about $2,500, they would stop paying until you hit $5,000.

Have you ever heard of an insurance policy like that? It's the so-called donut hole, but there's nothing sweet about it. It is a real bad deal for our seniors.

I would close that. I don't think it's right. An insurance policy is to supposed to deliver for you. You keep paying the premiums, it's not giving you anything. You have to reach in and pay $4,000 a month.

We're going to end that. That is not fair.

(APPLAUSE)

CROWLEY: Again, Hillary Clinton taking questions now at a town hall meeting in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Now, one of the things we have seen over the past several weeks is a pivot to economic issues, and particularly in Wisconsin, which, of course, holds its primary tomorrow. Both candidates have been focusing very hard on the economy.

The Clinton campaign has put together a pamphlet. And at the beginning of this town hall meeting, Clinton talked a little bit about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Tomorrow is a big day. It's a chance for everyone here to help take our country back. We want our country back!

(APPLAUSE)

And there are so many reasons for that. We want our country back because obviously we know that there's a lot of business that's not been done right or done at all over the last seven years.

We saw, again, just in the last few days, the largest beef recall in the history of America, 143 million pounds, because we don't have enough inspectors to work with our industry, to make sure that what we learned about this particular business doesn't happen elsewhere with sick and downed animals being pushed, you know, forward with bulldozers, with families having to worry about whether they or their kids ate any of this meat, either at home or in school. You know, we can do so much better than that.

We can have a government system that works hand in hand with our private sector to make sure that the food we eat is safe. We can do more to protect ourselves from food coming from foreign countries so that it, too, is safe, with stronger standards that countries have to meet or they shouldn't be able to import into our market. And so we need a government that's going to work with the families of America to ensure we have a safe food supply.

Now, that's something we shouldn't have to talk about. That should be as a matter of course. We ought to be taking care to make sure our food is safe.

(APPLAUSE)

I also know that we have a lot of work do to take back or country because our economy's not working the way it needs to. It's working for some, it's working for the wealthy and the well-connected. It's worked quite well for them for the last seven years. But when you think about what we need here in Wisconsin and across America, it's an economy that's producing good jobs with rising wages for everybody willing to work hard.

And I've been focused on the economy throughout this campaign. And I have issued today in Wisconsin this economic blueprint because I think we should talk about the solutions that we think we can bring about that will make our economy work better.

I'm very committed to working with our private sector, working with our great colleges and universities, because there's no reason that America can't be producing jobs again with rising standards of living. The middle class is the backbone of America. And it's time we started taking care of the middle class again.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Senator Clinton with that pamphlet, as you can see. The Clinton campaign has long believed that the more detailed she gets about the problems that affect American families, the better off she does. So, again, this 12-page pamphlet that they are handing out in Wisconsin outlining some of her programs.

We want to turn you back to the Republican side now, because our Dana Bash is in Houston, where John McCain got a big old and important, symbolic endorsement -- Dana.

BASH: He sure did, Candy. And you might -- I don't know if you can see me, but you might be wondering why I'm standing in an airport hangar. And the reason is because that endorsement came from a man who flew in here to his hometown. Even though he is in his hometown, he flew into an airport hangar here in Houston, and then flew right back out.

And that man is George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States. And symbolism, Candy, you said it. It is critical, critical for John McCain's campaign, they think, to get this kind of endorsement.

George H. W. Bush is the only living former Republican president, and so he is sort of the establishment, establishment Republican. He really is somebody who they hope is going to be another step, this endorsement another step, in giving the blessing to John McCain that he wants and needs to really prove that he is going to be the man who is going to be the nominee for the Republicans going into November.

Now, here at this airport hangar, it was -- you see there, it was quite interesting. It was John McCain and his wife, and George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush. And the two of them came together, and George Bush made very clear that, while he thinks that McCain is the man for the times, he didn't want to make the case explicitly that Mike Huckabee should get out of the race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, it really gives me great pleasure to welcome an old friend, Senator John McCain, back to Texas. As one who is inactive in most things political, I've watched with great interest over the past few months the spirited battle that is raging the leadership of our great party.

It's been a very strong contest based on the big issues of our time. And I believe the tenor of our family debate has largely been befitting the high office in question.

There was, of course a few exceptions, when I saw a snowman asking a question during the YouTube debate. I naturally felt that the good lord had taken me out of active politics at just the right time. But it's been a good debate, a vigorous debate, and well it should be when you're talk about the president of the United States.

Added to this, today we are living at a time of war, a new and vastly more complex time of war. We also have more important challenges at home. Chief among them, we clearly need to address those parts of our economy that demand attention.

And at this critical time in history, the key point I want to make is the United States of America cannot be permitted to falter. Part of our Republican creed is a prevailing sense of duty. And in the coming election we do not have the luxury of taking a pass on our unique role and responsibilities in the world. And the indisputable fact that unites the greatest number of Republicans, the most Independents and many good Democrats as well, is the fact that no one is better prepared to lead our nation at these trying times than Senator John McCain. Of course, having been a candidate in both a losing and winning effort for the GOP nomination, let me stress that I have not come here to tell any other candidate what to do. A very wise man once said, "Influence is something you always have until you actually try to exert it." Besides, my friend Bob Mossbacker (ph) right here -- where is he? -- can tell you that admitting to my own defeat in 1980, even after it was apparent to the rest of our team, was very tough for me, was a hard thing to do when you've been working hard yourself.

After so much time and exhaustive effort by so many friends, it can take a while for any candidate to read the handwriting on the wall. And that certainly was true of me. But as someone who also helped lead our great party at the RNC, and later as president, I believe now is the right time for me to help John in his effort to start building the broad-based coalition it will take for our conservative values to carry the White House this fall.

His character was forged in the crucible of war. His commitment to America is beyond any doubt. But most importantly, he has the right values and experience to guide our nation forward at this historic moment.

And so I'm very proud to endorse John McCain for the presidency of the United States of America. Few men walking among us have sacrificed so much in the cause of human freedom, and I'm happy to help this remarkable patriot carry our party's banner forward.

Thank you.

All yours.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I'm deeply honored by your support and your friendship.

I'm deeply appreciative of the enormous service that President Bush and Barbara and the entire family have rendered to this country. President Bush's service to this country goes back obviously to World War II, and that's where President Bush and I have something in common in that -- actually, two things in common.

One is that we were both naval aviators. And the other is that we were both shot down. I won't pursue that line of conversation any further except to say that -- to say that I'm very proud. I'm very proud to be in the presence of President and Barbara Bush anywhere at any time, two people who have devoted their lives to the service of this country. And I believe that his endorsement and sign of support honors me. And I also think it's very helpful in continuing our effort to unite our party.

In the conversations I had with President Bush, he made it very clear that we as a party must unite and move forward, and attract not only our members of our own party, but Independents and the so-called Reagan Democrats. I think that President Bush's endorsement today honors me. I believe that it will help us enormously in that process of uniting our party and moving forward. And again, I've had the pleasure of knowing and watching President Bush for many, many years.

He served this country as the head of the CIA, as the chairman of our party, as vice president, and as president. And there's very few Americans who I know who have served with more honor and dignity. And I'm honored to have his support.

And President Bush and Barbara, I can assure you that Cindy and I will do everything we can to make sure that you are proud and that your support of our candidacy will be something that you can look back on as having been the right thing to do. I'm very honored.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And there you hear from Senator McCain, making it pretty clear he thinks this is a very important moment in getting a president, former President Bush's, endorsement, at a time where George Bush had not given any kind of endorsement at all. He, as a former president, had intentionally stayed out of the race, as the Republicans have been fighting each other, but now you heard from President Bush, he made clear he thinks that that fight is essentially over and he does think that John McCain is the best man for the times for the Republican Party.

Interesting, there's a bit of irony here in that John McCain, even especially here in Texas, ahead of the primary here a week from Tuesday, is still battling big parts of his party, conservatives. That is the same kind of problem that George Bush had back in 1992 after he went back on his very famous, I guess infamous, "Read my lips, no new taxes" pledge. So there is a lot of commonality I think between the two men on that particular issue at this point in time within the Republican Party.

But after we've been talking about Republicans, we are going back to the Democratic side and look at an endorsement that both of the Democratic candidates are hoping to get. And that is from John Edwards. A meeting between one of the candidates and John Edwards over the weekend.

And we are going to also look at Mike Huckabee and look at what he's doing. He is still campaigning. He's up in Wisconsin today. We'll take a look at that.

And there you see ballot bowling and some real bowling. More on that right after a break.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CROWLEY: Hi, and welcome back to CNN's "Ballot Bowl '08," the Monday edition.

This is your chance to see these candidates, Republicans and Democrats, live, sometimes taped, but always unfiltered. Pretty much as we see them going about the country.

It will come as no surprise to those of you that live in the Midwest that often in February, there is snow and there is ice, such was the case yesterday in Wisconsin. It prompted both the Clinton campaign and the Obama campaigns to cancel some of their activities there in advance of tomorrow's primary here in Wisconsin.

Now, fortunately, for Barack Obama, there was neither snow nor ice in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, so he flew down there to see John Edwards. Of course, John Edwards used to be running in the Democratic race.

Hillary Clinton has already flown down to see John Edwards. Both of them would very much like to have his endorsement. It might be particularly helpful in Ohio, and indeed in Wisconsin because of working class voters there, the sort that were drawn to the campaign of John Edwards.

At the moment, the Edwards people tell us, at least those around John Edwards, that this is an agonizing decision for him, even if he makes a decision. There are some pressing him to stay out of this while the campaign works its way out. So we are not sure who nor whether John Edwards will endorse either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

Obama was able to get into Wisconsin on Saturday. And we found him there in Milwaukee, fighting on two fronts, really. First against Hillary Clinton, and also against John McCain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There have some arguments that have been made lately in this campaign season. One of them is, you know, Obama may make a good speech...

(APPLAUSE)

He makes a good speech, but he hasn't been in Washington long enough. We need to season and stew him a little bit more. And boil all of the hope out of him.

The American people have not bought this argument, you notice. It's been made for the last nine months. But the American people understand that the last thing we need is to have the same old cast of characters doing the same old things over and over again, and somehow expecting a different result.

We don't need somebody who can play the game better, we need somebody who can put an end to the game-playing. That's why I'm running for president of the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

We have heard another argument that, well, Obama hasn't gone up against the Republicans. They'll tear him up.

I've got to explain, I'm from the south side of Chicago.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm skinny, but I'm tough. And I am looking forward to a debate with John McCain.

John McCain's a good man. He's an American hero. And we honor his service to this nation. But he has made some bad choices about the company he keeps.

You know, he has embraced every failed policy of George Bush's. He speaks of a 100-year war in Iraq and sees another on the horizon with Iran.

Let me tell you, if he wants a 100-year war in Iraq, that's a good reason not to give him four years in the White House. I'm happy to have that debate with John McCain.

(APPLAUSE)

He wants to make permanent the George Bush tax cuts that he once courageously opposed. You know, but that's what happens when you spend too long in Washington. You know, the wheels on the Straight Talk Express kind of spin off.

And so I'm happy to have that debate about the failed economic policies of the past because I intend to lead the party of tomorrow, not the party of yesterday. That's why I'm running for president of the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

So, I am happy to have a debate with the Republicans.

But then we've heard another argument that, well, one candidate talks pretty, makes nice speeches, is inspirational, but the other person's in the solutions business. And the notion is I guess words don't matter or are just a bunch of fluff, style over substance.

And you know, this argument obviously ignores the 20 years that I've spent devoted to public service at every level. It's hard to understand if you talk to people who know that they have a job because of the job training I put in place or the health care that they have obtained, or those who aren't sitting on death row because the criminal justice system that we reformed, or those who understand that we've dealt with issues of nuclear proliferation at the international level in ways that haven't been done before.

But understand this argument about words not mattering, I -- the most important thing that we can do right now is to reengage the American people in the process of governance to get them excited and interested again in what works and what can work in our government to make politics cool again and important again and relevant again. Don't tell me words don't matter.

"I have a dream," just words? "We hold these truths to be self- evident that all men are created equal," just words? "We have nothing to fear but fear itself," just words? Just speeches?

It's true that speeches don't solve all problems. But what is also true is, if we cannot inspire the country to believe again, then it doesn't matter how many policies and plans we have. And that is why I'm running for president of the United States of America, and that's why we just won eight elections straight, because the American people want to believe in change again. Don't tell me words don't matter!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Senator Barack Obama, Saturday night in Milwaukee.

We can tell you that some of the words in that entire speech were lifted from a speech from Deval Patrick, who is a friend and the governor of Massachusetts. It has caused quite a curfuffle here today, and we'll fell you a little bit about that later.

But we promise you all the time that we will take you to these events live when we can, so we want to move over to Niles, Ohio, which is where Barack Obama is right now at a news conference. He is talking about Hillary Clinton. It looks a little different to you because it's broadband, but we wanted you to hear it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: And that's the ultimate victory, is actually delivering on good jobs, good wages and benefits. That's a long -- a long journey ahead of us. So we still feel like we're at the beginning of this process and not the end.

Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Clinton said the more debates, the better. And she agreed to a local debate at Youngstown State University and challenged you to accept and do the same.

Would you do that?

OBAMA: You know, we have agreed to two more debates. We're going to have one on Thursday in Texas. We'll have one the following week in Cleveland.

That will make 20 debates that we've had so far. And I have to say that Senator Clinton and I may see this a lit bit differently.

She is better known in many parts of the community. So it's very important for me to talk to voters directly in town hall meetings, in roundtables, taking tours of plants. She may feel that that's not necessary, but I think it's very important that voters directly have a chance to lift the hood and kick the tires and get a better sense of what my candidacy stands for.

Now, keep in mind that, both the debate in Texas and the one in Cleveland will run on all the networks. And so people will have an opportunity to see through their local affiliate or through CNN all of the issues. And I assure you that the issues that are pertinent to Youngstown, having to do with trade, having to do with the economy, bread and butter issues, those will be a central topic of the debates.

Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) plan to attack trade deals like NAFTA and other agreements.

OBAMA: Well, what I said very specifically is that I would seek to add amendments to the existing trade deals that ensured high labor standards, high environment standards, and safety standards. One of the things that we're increasingly concerned about is, for example, toys that have lead paint on them, or tainted foods, or recently there was a story about drugs that were being manufactured in China, subcontracted from a U.S. manufacturer, that had caused illnesses as opposed to curing diseases. So, there are a host of areas where I think we have to strengthen existing trade laws, and I also think it's important for us to enforce the trade laws that we have.

There are too many countries that are still setting up non-tariff barriers for U.S. goods going into those countries. And we want reciprocity as a basis for good trade relations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Senator Obama at a news conference in Ohio.

CNN wants to thank him for that plug. But we want to reiterate, Thursday, 8:00 Eastern Time, a debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton from CNN out of Austin, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

We're going to have to take a break here. But coming up out of it, our Suzanne Malveaux in Hawaii.

Stick with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the Monday edition of CNN's BALLOT BOWL, your chance to hear these candidates basically in long form, unedited pretty much as we see them and hear them for you to see them as they campaign for your vote and, of course, for the nomination of their party.

Now we've been talking a lot about the Wisconsin primary, which is tomorrow night. It's where these candidates, at least over the weekend, have tried to concentrate their attention. But there is another contest tomorrow as well. There are caucuses in Hawaii. And we don't want to leave any state uncovered. So we want to bring in our Suzanne Malveaux in Waikiki.

Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Candy.

Obviously, it is a competitive race here. It's beautiful here. This is actually where Barack Obama was born, in Honolulu. There are 20 delegates that are actually up for grabs. Nobody is taking this for granted here. There is a real competition over these voters.

Senator Clinton putting out a plan, a solutions for Hawaii plan. Barack Obama has national television ads. And we have seen both of them really the campaigns go to great lengths to try to attract these voters.

Yesterday we saw Chelsea Clinton. She was doing the hula dance with some locals. And we saw Barack Obama's sister passing out a local dish she called Of Obamasada (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX, (voice over): Aloha. Think Hawaii, you normally envision moon lit luaus, sunkissed body, monster surf. Yes, there is that. But think again.

In the frantic race for the Democratic nomination, where every delegate counts, Hawaii matters. This is Senator Barack Obama's home turf. He was born in Honolulu and spent much of his childhood here. His secret weapon on the campaign trail, his younger sister, Maya Soetero-Ng.

MAYA SOETERO-NG, OBAMA'S SISTER: Hey, people. How it's going? I'm an Obama mama.

MALVEAUX: Maya lives in Honolulu, where politicking nearly 5,000 miles away from Washington has a different feel. Rallying supporters with a pot luck in the park.

SOETERO-NG: I'd like people to understand that he is, without a doubt, precisely what he says he is. He really has the power to do this.

MALVEAUX: But less you think Hillary Clinton is giving up on Obama's backyard, think again. Daughter Chelsea was dispatched for three days to campaign across the islands. While she refuses to talk to reporters, she spends hours greeting and answering supporters' questions. For many Hawaiian voters, this election is giving them a real role in the politics of the mainland.

TERRI PINTACURA, CLINTON SUPPORTER: I know that Barack Obama is for home boy and Hillary, but I'm for Hillary. I believe she has the experience and all of the things that are need to be a president. I just -- I'm so inspired by all of this. It's overwhelming for me. It's hard for me to even talk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's -- he represents kind of like an image of my family because he -- I see that my kids' future in his eyes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hawaii's a very special place. And we have something here called the aloha spirit and I really think that Obama embodies the aloha spirit.

MALVEAUX: Do you think Senator Clinton has that same aloha spirit?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely not. No. I don't see that at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: And, Candy, it's really interesting, a lot of voters actually talk about that, this sense of an aloha spirit, a sense of community involvement in getting along. That's why they say that they believe that they're really unique from voter from the mainland and they also believe it's what really makes Barack Obama a unique candidate in this race. They believe that there is something about growing up here that really reflects his values and his ideas and is really reflected in the campaign.

Candy.

CROWLEY: Suzanne, I can remember if I've ever seen actually a poll from Hawaii on how people think in my entire career. But I have to ask you, do you get a feel on the ground for who's ahead or is it really a toss-up?

MALVEAUX: You definitely get a feel that there is a sense of advantage really for the native son, Barack Obama. There's a lot of excitement. But you also get a sense here that this is a race. This is very competitive. That the Clinton camp has made a real effort, those three days that Chelsea has been out here. She's been very warmly received.

I had a chance to talk to a lot of, you know, Barack Obama, his relatives, his home room teacher, people like that who really give you a good sense of what it means to be Hawaiian, to have that sense of multiculturalism. It's really a part of people's everyday lives. But there is also an openness to Hillary Clinton as well. So it's fascinating to see. It's fascinating to watch. And, Candy, this is one of those assignments that I got a lot of volunteers from fellow CNNers on this one. So it's going to be really interesting to see how the caucus goes.

CROWLEY: Suzanne Malveaux in Waikiki, thanks so much.

Well, Wisconsin is not Waikiki and bowling is not sitting on the beach, but that's exactly where we're headed next. Mike Huckabee did go bowling over the weekend. We'll take you there too right after BALLOT BOWL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to BALLOT BOWL '08. I'm Dana Bash in Houston, Texas, where just a short while ago John McCain received a Presidents Day endorsement from the only living former Republican president, and that is George Herbert Walker Bush. And that is something that the McCain campaign hopes very much really seals it for him in terms of getting the establishment of the Republican Party behind him. But even as this occurred here in Houston, Mike Huckabee, Senator McCain's rival, still his rival, is campaigning as we speak in the state of Wisconsin ahead of that state's Republican primary tomorrow.

And Mike Huckabee spent the day yesterday campaigning there as well and doing something that candidates like to do in order to get themselves on television. And that is having made for television photo op. His made for television photo op was going to the bowling alley and showing his stuff at the Olympic Strikes (ph) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But it wasn't just for the cameras. He also wanted to put his plug in for the policies that he has been pushing for months and months and months on the campaign trail, including the policy that really sets him apart from the other Republican and Democratic candidates, and that is his support for a fair tax.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As we're into the final two days before Wisconsin, obviously one of the messages we want to get out is that the people of Wisconsin have a choice, they have a voice, but they don't if they don't vote. And what we need to do is to make sure the people of Wisconsin recognize that they're going out and voting their own conscience, not doing what maybe somebody in Washington is telling them and not doing what the establishment tells them because this vote is about the future of the Republican Party. What kind of party we're going to have in the future. Are we going to attract the people that will help us to have victory? And that's going to be to really rally the traditional base of the party, which is a very pro-life constituency. People who believe in the human life amendment.

It's also to rally for the future of our tax system. To make sure that the fair tax is something that we get implemented. Because if we don't, we're going to continue to loss a lot of small businesses because of the fact they can't compete with the IRS.

I'm also the one candidate who has a strong position, as well as program, to deal with illegal immigration. To actually build a border, a security fence, and to do it within a time certain. Something that people all across this country care about.

And I believe it's very, very critical that people don't use Tuesday as an opportunity to sit home and say, we're going to let the voters in all those other states make the decision for us. Voters in Wisconsin have as much right to make this decision as do the voters of South Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa or any of the other states that have already voted.

So what we'd like to ask you to do is to come out in full force Tuesday and give us their vote and their support. Let's prove that the Republicans are about electing a president, not coronating one. And I think that's the message we want to try to get out this week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How would a fair tax help the Wisconsin small business community, bowling alleys and anything else?

HUCKABEE: Sure. Small businesses are buried with paperwork and bureaucracy. Under the fair tax, the tax system is simple. You're not taxed for your productivity. You only pay tax at the point of consumption at the retail level. We all know that when you penalize something, you get less of it. When you reward it, you get more of it.

If we want more productivity, you reward it, not penalize it. The current tax system does the opposite. It penalizes people in their productivity, it chokes the life out of them and for those who, you know, who really are trying really hard to make their businesses work, they spend a lot of their time, as well as a lot of their money, in just complying with a tax code that nobody can understand, including the IRS.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor, on the last frame there you knocked down a lot of pins on the right, a few pins on the left. But the pins in the middle were all still standing there. Is that . . .

HUCKABEE: We definitely got the ones on the right because I think people are beginning to realize that, you know, they have a conservative choice in this race and I'm it. The only candidate that still supports the human life amendment. The only one who's unabashedly strong on the Second Amendment. The only one supporting the fair tax. And the only one with a strong program to end illegal immigration with a border fence. As far as the left, that was just saying, we're practicing for either Hillary or Obama, or whichever one it turns out to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: There was Mike Huckabee using a metaphor there at the bowling alley to describe his position in the Republican spectrum. His position, as he said, pretty far to the right, which is the reason why he is staying in this race, to keep appealing to those conservative voters.

Now he was campaigning in Wisconsin. John McCain is heading to Wisconsin to campaign there as well later today ahead of the primary tomorrow. But as we speak, John McCain is actually still where I am in Texas. He's raising some money -- some much-needed money for his campaign funds to move forward. And he's also -- the McCain campaign is a little bit concerned about the primary that is going to take place here in Texas a week from tomorrow because polls show Mike Huckabee is doing quite well here. Very well. And the McCain campaign, his advisers, say that that's part of the problem with where they are right now. They're trying to send the message that this primary is over, but by doing that they're worried about the fact that they are going to depress turnout and that could prove embarrassing if John McCain doesn't do well, especially in a very big state like Texas, which is another reason why John McCain wanted to get the support of an establishment, the establishment Republican, that is former President Bush.

And we're going to have more on that endorsement -- it happened here where I am in Houston -- coming up after a break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL '08. I'm Dana Bash in Houston, Texas.

And Texas is one of four states holding primaries on March 4th. And we'll show you those states right now. Texas, of course. Ohio is another very big one. And in New England, we have Rhode Island and Vermont. All of those states holding primaries on the 4th of March.

And Texas is a very interesting state with regard to the Republican primary contest because John McCain has been arguing, as he did this morning, both in symbolism and in his words, that the Republican race for the nomination is over. But if you look at the polls here in Texas, it look likes it's pretty close between John McCain and his only real rival in the race still, and that is Mike Huckabee, despite the fact that it is going to be virtually actually mathematically impossible for Mike Huckabee to catch up in terms of getting the number of delegates to get the nomination.

What John McCain is still trying to do is battle a perception. And that perception is that he is having problems still with his own party. And by having Mike Huckabee in the race and potentially somebody who's going to do quite well in this very Republican big state like Texas could be problematic for John McCain.

Well, what McCain did today is, he tried to shore up this support from within his party by having the man who really does symbolize and personify the establishment right now of the Republican Party, and that is George Herbert Walker Bush. And during the press conference here in Houston, John McCain was asked about whether or not this shows that he might be going forward and going towards what some people are calling a third Bush term.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'd be honored to have President George Bush's support, his endorsement and I'd be honored to be anywhere with him under any circumstances. Having said that, obviously, as any president that follows one has different views on particularly specific issues.

But I am proud of this president's strategy in Iraq. It is succeeding. The Democrats are the same ones who said it would fail. The Democrats are the same ones that after they said the surge wouldn't work, and it worked, that politically that it wouldn't work, they are wrong. They are wrong. And we should start out this presidential debate by them admitting that they were wrong. And if we had done what they wanted to do, then we would have had al Qaeda succeed in Iraq.

So all I can say is that I'm glad to have campaigned hard for President Bush's election in 2000, his re-election in 2004. And I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to work with him on many issues. Are there issues we are in disagreement on? Of course. And again, obviously, the American people will judge who they vote for by the qualities of the candidate and how those qualities and vision and leadership is displayed.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: And one name you have not heard a lot at all during this Republican race for the White House is the name Bush on the campaign trail out of the mouths of these Republican candidates. But there John McCain standing with President Bush father, getting his endorsement. It was pretty hard to avoid. And there you saw John McCain, Candy, making clear he's not going to run away from the current president despite his low approval ratings in the country among the general public, much less conservative and Republicans.

Candy.

CROWLEY: You know, Dana, seeing that picture of George H. W. Bush and John McCain standing together and John McCain having so much trouble with conservatives, I looked at the former president, I thought, boy, he had the same kind of problems, both as he was running and during his tenure as president. Any advice from the senior statesman?

BASH: You know, I asked him that question, because I was thinking the exact same thing, the fact that he went through the same thing in '92. He had big problems with conservatives. What he said is that he thinks that those attacks, he called them, on John McCain from conservatives are grossly unfair. He even said that they were absurd.

And I'm sure you can imagine this, Candy, he was ready for a question like this. And he actually said he went back to the Reagan Library and pulled a couple of quotes from Ronald Reagan talking about his own problems with conversations back in the early '80s, trying to make the point that, you know, everybody talks about Ronald Reagan as this great conservative, but even he had problems with the right flank of his party, showing that this is sort of -- this is the way it goes. This is the rite of passage for any Republican trying to get the nomination.

So it was quite interesting. But he did say that he wants to forget about what happened in 1992, you know, no surprise there because, you know, at this point in 1992, Pat Buchanan was nipping at his heels.

CROWLEY: Absolutely. Conservatives vocal, if nothing else, inside the Republican Party.

Thanks, Dana.

We'll be back with some final words after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CROWLEY: I'm Candy Crowley in Chicago.

We, of course, are going to keep watching these candidates for you. It is voting time tomorrow in Wisconsin, in Washington state, and the caucuses in Hawaii. BALLOT BOWL will be back again tomorrow, same time, same place.

But for right now, good-bye to you and to my colleague, Dana Bash.

BASH: That's right, Candy. And there will be a lot more political news throughout the day today, including on CNN "Newsroom," which starts right after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Dramatic images from a tornado's path. Severe storms whipped through the southeast United States. Chad Myers is tracking the damage reports for us.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: A company in the crosshairs.

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